Method and apparatus for printing tags

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for printing closely spaced lines of characters on a series of tag parts, with a minimum of printing strokes and without the printing of extra tag parts, using a two section printhead having a plurality of band-set lines staggered between the two sections. Each tag part is fed past each printhead section and is partially printed by each section to be completed in two printing strokes. Adjacent tag parts are printed simultaneously by different sections of the printhead. One print stroke more than the total number of tag parts is employed. The feeding of blanks is inhibited during the last feed cycle. Counters control the printing of a selected number of single or multiple part tags through solid-state circuitry, and control the printing, feeding and cutting of tags, and the starting and stopping of the machine which prints them. The controls employ a combination of electrical and mechanical signals for driving, synchronizing, conditioning and enabling the various operations. A portion of the guideway is depressible to expose a cutting edge of the platen, a two section printhead structure with telescoping dials, and selective tag guides which retract into the guideway for accommodating various tag sizes are also provided.

United States Patent inventor [22] Filed July 6,1970 [45] Patented Aug.24, 1971 [73] Assignee' The Monarch Marking System Company Dayton, Ohio[54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING TAGS 41 Claims, 44 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 101/69, 101/19 [51] lnt.C| B411 15/14 [50] Field ofSearch101/19, 6769, 45, 90, 66

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,180,251 4/1965 Hamisch101/69 3,228,601 1/1966 Hamisch.... 235/132 3,252,543 5/1966Lippard..... 101/426 3,415,182 12/1968 White..... 101/68 3,415,18312/1968 Dudley... 101/68 Re.24,547 10/1958 Braun 101/19 PrimaryExaminer-William B. Penn Assistant ExaminerE. M. Coven Attorney-Wood,Herron and Evans ABSTRACT: A method and apparatus for printing closelyspaced lines of characters on a series of tag parts. with a minimum ofprinting strokes and without the printing of extra tag parts, using atwo section printhead having a plurality of band-set lines staggeredbetween the two sections. Each tag part is fed part each printheadsection and is partially printed by each section to be completed in twoprinting strokes. Adjacent tag parts are printed simultaneously bydifferent sections of the printhead. One print stroke more than thetotal number of tag parts is employed. The feeding of blanks isinhibited during the last feed cycle. Counters control the printing ofaselected number of single or multiple part tags through solid-statecircuitry, and control the printing, feeding and cutting of tags, andthe starting and stopping of the machine which prints them. The controlsemploy a combination of electrical and mechanical signals for driving,synchronizing, conditioning and enabling the various operations. Aportion of the guideway is depressible to expose a cutting edge of theplaten, a two section printhead structure with telescoping dials, andselective tag guides which retract into the guideway for accommodatingvarious tag sizes are also provided.

Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,042

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Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,042

15 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 24, 1971 15 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VENTOR.

y W flffOK/VEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1971 15 Sheets-Sheet G INVENTOR. PM (AW 4 BY z/ml, M i am flraelve Y5 Patented Aug. 24, 3,601,042

15 Sheets-Sheet 7 WA B40 00/ J INVENTOR.

15 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR.

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15 Sheets-Sheet 11 .32 I: I: I: -150 INVENTOR. W1. Mala/J.

Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,042

15 Sheets-Sheet l2 Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,042

15 Sheets-Sheet 15 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING TAGS This inventionrelates to the printing of tickets, tags and labels. More particularly,this invention relates to a novel and highly efficient methodandapparatus for printing high-density information upon a series of tags ortag parts with a minimum number of printing strokes and without thewasting of tags.

The increased use of sophisticated inventory systems in stores has ledto a great reliance on tags bearing a large amount of informationrequired'for inventory. Such tags are attached to merchandise,particularly garment merchandise and may comprise several identicalseparable tag parts which can be distributed to various departments ofthe store. The information on these tags usually includes humanlyintelligible printed information such as the price, a description of themerchandise, etc. In some instances, machinereadable coded data may alsobe printed on the tag to facilitate its use with automaticdata-processing equipment.

A major consideration in the printing of these tags is that theprocedure may be simple and fast to set up, the operation be speedy andefiicient, and that both set up and operation be reliable. Becausestores require tags in a wide variety of types and numbers with eachbatch or run requiring different printed information devices such asthat disclosed in U..S. Pat. No. 3,180,254 of I-Iamisch, Apr. 27, 1965have been employed. This device includes a multiline printhead whereineach line comprises a plurality of characters, each carried by adifferent one of a plurality of endless bands arranged in sideby-siderelation. These bands were quickly and easily settable to a desiredcharacter. This device also includes simple to use controls forselecting the number of tags to be printed per run, and the number ofparts to be printed per tag. This machine operates efficiently with oneprinting stroke for each tag part printed and results in no printing ofunusable tag parts.

The multiline band-set printhead has one inherent limitation and that isin the density of information which can be printed by it. This is due tothe limited closeness of spacing of the band-set lines of type. Anapproach to solving this problem has been to employ a two-sectionmultiline printhead for printing alternate lines upon each tag part in atwo-step process. Where employed in prior art devices, this approach hasresulted in the sacrifice of either operator efficiency, machineefiiciency, or both. For example, a shifting two-section printhead,imprinting each tag part with two impressions of the printhead, one witheach printing section, doubles the number of operating strokes requiredand cuts in half the optimal speed of the machine. On the other hand,printing with a two-section printhead simultaneously on two adjacent tagparts has, in the prior art devices which employ this method, generatedextra half-printed tags or tag parts at either the beginning or end ofeach run or both. This not only results in a waste of tag stock, butmore importantly, results in a waste in operator time in removing anddiscarding these unusable tags, and is further a source of operatorerror in failing to remove these tags and including them in one of thebatches. Since the information to be printed on successive batches isusually different, corresponding to two different items of merchandise,an extra tag, printed partially with one batch, and partially with thenext batch, carries meaningless information which could jeopardize thewhole inventory system.

Accordingly, it is a general objective of the present invention toprovide a highly flexible and efficient method and apparatus forprinting tags, tickets or labels which is simple and reliable inoperation and speedy and efiicient in use, and more particularly,utilizing a two-section multiple-line printhead wherein two sets oflines are successively printed in alternate relation upon a tag or tagpart.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a novel methodand apparatus for controlling such a printing of tags with a minimum ofprinting strokes and without the generation of extra partially orcompletely printed tags or tag parts, and more particularly, to providea method and apparatus employing an improved combination of electricaland mechanical operations to effectively achieve the above objectives.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide a noveltwo-section printhead and selective tag guide means which can be quicklyand easily set.

The present invention is predicated in part upon the concept of printinga plurality of alternately spaced lines simultaneously upon adjacent tagparts of single or multiple part tags from a strip of tag blanks withdifferent sections of a twosection printhead, each section defining adifferent printing stage and feeding relative to the printhead, each tagpart successively to each of the stages, and printing upon each tag partat each stage, but while disabling the feed of an additional tag blankto the first stage while the last tag part of a run is being fed to thesecond stage, to thereby print with only one printing stroke more thanthe total number of tag parts to be printed without generating extra orpartially printed tags. This invention is also predicated in part uponthe concept of electrically and mechanically conditioning, under theselective control of a counter, the feeding, cutting, and drivefunctions for printing a given number of multiple p'art tags.

The invention further provides a two-section staggered line printheadwith each section supported at a common spacing plane and each stagehaving a plurality of rows of characters each carried by endless bandsand selectively settable by telescopically mounted dials on oppositesides of the printhead.

A variable width channel is provided on the tag guideway to accommodatetags of different widths and at different transverse positions relativeto the printhead. The guideway is also provided with a depressibleportion which moves with the cutting knife to facilitate the severing oftags from the strip.

The important advantages of the present invention are in overcoming theproblems of excessive printing strokes and wasted tags in using atwo-section band-set printhead in printing high-density information upontags, and in providing an improved and simplified method and apparatusfor controlling such a tag-printing operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will bemore readily apparent from consideration of the following detaileddescription of the drawings illustrating one preferred form of tagprinting apparatus and method embodying principles of the presentinvention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating various shapes and sizes of tagslabeled types A through E which can be printed on one form oftag-printing apparatus according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2-7 are diagrammatic illustrations of selected completed sampleruns of tags and the corresponding control settings which generatedthem;

FIGS. 8-15 diagrammatically illustrate a sequence of operationsperformed in printing the selected sample run of FIG. 2;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a tag-printing machine, in accordancewith principles of the present invention, set up for the printing of theE type tags of FIG. 1;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the apparatusof FIG. 16 showing the alternate ticket stockmounting set up for theprinting of A type gummed labels;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view, partially broken away, of the apparatus ofFIG. 16 with the cover removed except that the apparatus is set for Btype tags;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 19-19 of FIG. 18illustrating the magnetic switch structure;

FIG. 20 is an exploded diagrammatic perspective view, partially brokenaway for purposes of clarity, of the clutch mechanism and associatedactuating solenoids;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 21-21 of FIG. 18further illustrating the clutch mechanism in a disengaged condition;

FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIG. 21 except with the clutch mechanismengaged;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 23-23 of FIG. 18illustrating the arms for actuating the various components of theapparatus;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 24-24 of FIG. 23illustrating the fender releasing mechanism;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 25-25 of FIG. 23illustrating the ink pad and printhead-operating cam and mechanism;

FIG. 26 is a diagrammatic view of the ink pad and printhead cams of FIG.25;

FIG. 27 is a view similar to FIG. 26, but of the printhead cam of FIG.25 only;

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 28-28 of FIG. 23illustrating the knife-driving cam and associated linkage in the knifeunlatched or inoperative condition;

FIG; 29 is a view similar to FIG. 28 except illustrating the mechanismin a knife-latched or operative condition;

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 30-30 of FIG. 18illustrating the selectable ticket guides and associated mechanism;

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 31-31 of FIG. 30further illustrating the ticket guides;

FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 32-32 of FIG. 30;

FIGS. 33 through 36 are diagrammatic cross-sectional views taken alonglines 33-33 through 36-36 respectively of FIG. 32, with the guideselector set for tags of types A through E respectively, the B row inthe figures corresponding to the setting illustrated in FIG. 32;

FIG. 37 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 37-37 of FIG. 25illustrating the staggered two-section printhead;

FIG. 38 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 38-38 of FIG. 37;

FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 39-39 of FIG. 37illustrating the detent mechanism for controlling the setting mechanismof the printhead;

FIG. 40 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit of the machine,including the solid-state control circuitry;

' FIGS. 40A and 40B are schematic diagrams of the part counter and powersupply portions of the solid-state control circuitry;

FIG. 41 is a logic diagram relating the mechanical and electricalfunctions of the machine; and

FIG. 42 is a timing diagram illustrating the functions of the machineand the sequence of steps performed in the operation illustrated inFIGS. 8-15.

MACHINE CAPABILITIES The description of the invention will be betterunderstood if first the general capabilities of the tag-printing machineaccording to the present invention are briefly described. Thecapabilities include those of printing on one machine, tags of differingsizes, having differing numbers of printed lines, and comprising adiffering number of identical attached tag parts. FIG. 1 illustrates tagpart blanks of five different tag types labeled A'- through E." Theseblanks are shown in their positions of alignment with the printingstation and feed fingers, a relationship which will be more fullyappreciated in connection with the discussion of the printhead structureand selective guides below.

FIG. 1 shows a print station 50, blanks 60 to be printed at the station50, and a feed finger assembly 70 for advancing the tag 60 through theprinting station 50. The feed finger assembly 70 advances blanks 60 fromthe right to the left of FIG. I, along a path defining the longitudinalcoordinate of the machine. The dimension of a blank 60 or tag part inthis direction is referred to as the tag part length. A dimension in thedirection transverse the direction of feed is referred to as the tagwidth or the tag strip width.

The printing station 50 consists of two print stages 51 and 52 spacedlongitudinally apart one tag part length. At the two printing stages 51and 52, a printhead carrying six rows of type 53-1 to 53-6, imprints upto six rows of printed characters on each tag blank 60 to form a printedtag part. The six rows of type, 53-1 to 53-6, are orientedlongitudinally and are spaced transversely, in numerical order, acrossthe width of the print station 50. The lines are distributed instaggered fashion between the two stages 51 and 52 with the lines 53-2and 53-4 located at the first stage 51, and the lines 53-1 and 53-3, and53-5 53-6 located at the second stage 52. The lines of the differentstages are imprinted simultaneously ,upon adjacent tag parts, andsuccessively upon the same tag part, first at stage 51 then at stage 52.This two-stage printing operation allows the rows 53 to be printedcloser together than the rows of type can be placed on a printhead whenin convenient resettable typeband form.

From FIG. 1 it can be seen that the blanks 60 are of varying widths anddiffer in the combination of lines which can be imprinted on them. Forexample, the A" type blank spans three rows of type and is so alignedwith the printing station 50 that it will be imprinted by rows of type53-3, 53-4 and 53-5. The C type blank also carries three lines ofcharacters but is so aligned with the printing station 50 that it willbe imprinted by rows of type 53-1, 53-2 and 53-3, while the E type blankis of maximum width and will be imprinted by all six rows of type 53-1to 53-6.

While FIG. 1 illustrates the versatility of the machine in printingblanks of various sizes and shapes and with various combinations ofprinted rows of characters, FIGS. 2-7 illustrate the versatility of themachine in the printing and cutting of a selected number ofmultiple-part tags in a tag-printing run. This selectivity feature isprovided by three controls: a tag counter 81 presettable to the totalnumber of tags to be printed in the printing run, a part selector 82settable to the total number of tag parts of which each completedmultiplepart tag will consist, and a knife selector switch 83 whichselectively controls the condition of a knife for severing individualmultiple part tags from each other during the run. Each of the FIGS. 2-7illustrates the results of a different tagprinting run, together withthe presettings of the controls required to achieve these results.

FIG. 2 illustrates a run of two two-part tags with the knife selectorON, and shows also how the controls are set to achieve this. In thisrun, four tag parts 63-1 through 63-4 are printed and cut into twotwo-part tags 64-1 and 64-2. Similarly, FIG. 3 shows a run of twofour-part tags with the knife selector ON, and FIG. 4 shows a run ofthree three-part tags with the knife ON. FIG. 5 also shows a run ofthreethreepart tags but with the knife selector OFF, which in fact,results in nine tag parts connected together. FIG. 6 shows a run of nineone-part tags with the knife selector OFF, and in the result, this runis identical to that shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 shows a run of nineone-part tags, but with the knife ON, also producing nine tag parts butsevered into nine one-part tags.

GENERAL OPERATION Before describing in detail the structure of themachine according to the present invention, a general sequence ofoperation will be described in conjunction with FIGS. 8-15. TheseFigures show the step-by-step printing operation for the printing of twotwo-part tags with the knife selector ON as illustrated in FIG. 2. Thefour tag parts of this run are printed in five machine cycles includingonly five strokes of the printhead, and in addition, no extra tag or tagpart, is produced either completely or partially printed, at either thebeginning or end of the run.

FIG. 8 shows diagrammatically the tag-printing machine set up for a run.A continuous strip 62 of blanks 60 of the B type is shown with its endblank adjacent the printing station 50. During the printing runillustrated, each blank 60 will be imprinted with four rows 53 ofcharacters in two successive multiple line printing operations, withrows 53-2, and 53-4 at stage 51, and then with rows 53-3 and 53-5 atstage 52.

A cutting knife 90, mounted transverse the path of strip 62 on the entryside of the printing stage 51 is normally maintained justabove the tagstrip 62 and is pivotally mounted, about the shaft 91 which is parallelto the strip 62, to move downwardly to sever tags from the strip 62. Thefeed finger assembly 70 includes two sets of feed fingers, a first setof tagadvancing fingers 71, and a second set of strip-advancing fingers72 spaced one tag part length behind the tag-advancing fingers 71. Thefingers engage notches 73 between the blanks 60 of the strip 62 toadvance the tag or the strip one tag part length in each cycle ofoperation of the feed fingers. A fender 75 underlies the strip feedfingers 72 and overlies the strip 62. The fender 75 is normally inactivein the position shown in FIG. 8. When the fender 75 is activated, it isinterposed between the finger 72 and the corresponding notch 73 of thestrip 62 to prevent the fingers 72 from engaging, and thereby advancing,the strip 62 as the fingers 72 advance in a feed cycle. This is shown inFIGS. 13 and 14. The tag-advancing fingers 71 advance either severed orunsevered partially printed tag parts from stage 51 to stage 52. Thestrip-advancing fingers 72, when not disabled by the activated fender75, advance the strip 62 one tag part length to bring a blank tag 60 tostation 51. When the controls have been preset as illustrated in FIG. 2,the operation proceeds as follows:

As shown in FIG. 9, the strip feed fingers 72, by engagement of theunderlying slot 73 of the strip 62, begin to advance the strip 62 tobring the first of the blanks 60 to the first print stage 51. After thefeed fingers 71 and 72 have so advanced the strip, they retract, andwith one stroke of the printhead, the rows 53-2 and 53-4 of type imprintlines of printed characters 54-2 and 54-4 upon the first of the blanks60 to partially form a tag part 63-1 as shown in FIG. 10. This completesthe first machine cycle.

A second cycle of operation completes the first tag part 63-1 andpartially forms a second tag part 63-2 as shown in FIG. 11. The tag part63-1 is advanced from stage 51 to stage 52 where the lines of characters54-3 and 54-5 are printed upon it by rows of type 53-3 and 53-4 in asecond stroke of the printhead, while simultaneously a new tag blank 60of the strip 62 is advanced into the stage 51 where the lines ofcharacters 54-2 and 544 are imprinted upon it to partially form thesecond tag part 63-2. During this cycle, since the second part of atwo-part tag is being formed because two-part tags are to be printed,and since the knife control is set for the severing of these tags fromeach other, the knife 90 is actuated to sever the tag part 63-2 from thestrip 62, to form a two-part tag 64-1 of tag parts 63-1 and 63-2.

In the third cycle of operation, both sets of feed fingers 71 and 72 areoperative to advance both the severed tag 64-1 and the strip 62. The tagfeed fingers 71 advance the severed tag 64-1 to carry the tag part 63-2from stage 51 to stage 52, while the strip feed fingers 72 similarlyengage and advance the leading blank tag part 60 of the strip 62 intostage 51. The feed fingers then retract and, with a single stroke of theprinthead, tag part 63-2 is completed at stage 52 with lines 54-3 and54-5 being imprinted upon it by rows of type 53-3 and 53-5, and lines54-2 and 54-4 being simultaneously imprinted upon tag part 63-3 at stage51. This third cycle results in the completion of the two-part tag 64-1as shown in FIG. 12.

The fourth cycle for arriving at the condition shown in FIG. 13. Theknife blade 90 actuates to sever a fourth partially completed tag part63-4 from the blank strip 62 to form a partially completed two-part tag64-2. In addition, the completed tag 64-1 is forced from the printstation 50. However, now, since four tag blanks have been fed to theprinting station 50, which is all that is necessary to form the four tagparts which make up the two two-part tags to be printed in this run, itis desired to stop the feed of blanks 60 from the strip 62 to theprinting station 50. But since the last tag part 63-4 is only partiallycompleted, one addition machine cycle must be executed in which the tagpart 63-4 is advanced from stage 51 to stage 52, where with one morestroke of the printhead, lines 54-3 and 54-5 are imprinted upon it.These functions are achieved by conditioning the machine, for executingone more cycle with the strip feed fingers 72 disabled, by theinterposing of the fender 75 between the strip feed fingers 72 and thestrip 62 thereby covering slot 73 at the end of the fourth cycle ofoperation. This conditioning occurs generally whenever the machine hasexecuted a number of cycles equal to the product of the number of tagsto be printed times the number of tag parts per tag, as is set bycontrols 81 and 82 at the beginning of the run. Also, the actuation ofthe knife 90 occurs at this time regardless of whether or not the knifecontrol switch 83 is set to ON. The fifth cycle proceeds as illustratedin FIG. 14, wherein only the severed tags are advanced by the tag feedfingers 71 to bring tag part 63-4 to stage 52. FIG. 15 illustrates thecompletion of the fifth cycle of operation where the feed fingers haveretracted and a fifth printhead stroke has completed the second two-parttag 64-2, and restored fender 75 to its original position and therebycompleted the run. Two two-part tags 64-1 and 64-2 have been printed,but no partially printed tags or tag parts'have beenprinted either atthe beginning or the end of the run. In the above sequence of operation,four tag parts have been printed in a two-stage plural line process, andin five cycles of machine operation, including only five printheadstrokes, only one cycle more than the number of tag parts that areprinted in the run.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE APPARATUS The apparatus according to thepresent invention is best described by reference to the tag-printingmachine illustrated in FIG. 16. The tag-printing machine comprises theprinting station which includes a two-stage printhead reciprocatablewith respect to a frame 56. (Reference to the frame 56 is made wheneverit is necessary to refer to the frame 56 or to a structure or supportrigidly secured to the frame or closing of the machine.) The machinealso includes a supply station 65 for supplying the blank tag parts inthe form of a continuous strip 62 and a guideway 93 forming a pathconnecting the tag supply station with the printing station 50. Thestrip 62 of blank tags 60 is threaded from the supply station 65 alongthe guideway 93 and into the printing station 50. Overlying the strip 62on the guideway 93 is the feed finger assembly mounted to reciprocatelongitudinally along the guideway 93. The strip 62 may be eithersupplied from the spool 94 or from the alternate spool 95 (FIG. 17)behind the door 96. The spool 94 is used for supplying relatively stiffpaper tags and string tags illustrated in FIG. 16 as the E type blanksof FIG. 1, while the spool 95 is of smaller diameter and suitable forrelatively thin flexible tags such as gummed labels of the sizeillustrated in FIG. 1 as A" type blanks. In the initial threading of themachine, the strip 62 from the spool 94 is brought around a taperedpulley 97 which aids in twisting the strip from a vertical to ahorizontal orientation. When string tags are used, a short length ofstring will trail from each of the blanks 60 and to insure that thesestrings are separated or untangled, the strings of the unwound portionof the tag strip 62 are combed over a string bar 98 which is pivotallymounted about an axis parallel to the axis of the spool 94 and springurged against the spool 94. The strings of tag blanks proceeding throughthe guideway 93 are further passed between opposing brushes actuated bya brush lever 99 as will be shown more clearly in FIG. 23.

The controls of the machine are mounted on a switch panel 80. Thesecontrols include the tag counter 81 having three presettable digitwheels 84, the four position rotary part selector switch 82, and the twoposition rotary knife control switch 83. The controls 81, 82 and 83 arepreset before each run. The panel also includes a momentary pushbuttonstart switch which is used to initiate a run of tags, a momentarypushbutton stop switch 86 which is used to interrupt the normal rununder the control of the counter, and a momentary pushbutton resetswitch 87 which is used only to reset the solidstate controls of themachine after power has been interrupted or after it has been necessaryto terminate a run by depression of the stop button 86. A power switch88 is provided at the on the panel 80 to selectively set guides withinthe guideway 93 to provide means for aligning tags 60 of the varioussizes or types A through E illustrated in FIG. 1. This dial 89 should bepreset prior to the threading of the machine.

CYCLIC DRIVE SYSTEM All of the functions of the tag-marking machine ofthe present invention are driven in a timed relationship by a rotatingshaft, one rotation of which defines an operating cycle of the machine.The machine functions are considered to comprise unconditional functionsand conditional functions. The unconditional functions are those whichoccur or are performed in each cycle of rotation of the shaft. Theconditional functions, although driven by and timed in response torotation of the shaft, will only be performed when they are conditionedor enabled by the controls of the machine. The unconditional functionsinclude the printing, inking, and feeding functions, while theconditional functions include the cutting function performed by theinterposing function performed by the knife 90, fender 75 and theautomatic stopping of the machine at the end of a cycle.

The drive system of the machine is best understood by reference first toFIG. 18. The drive system includes a cyclic drive assembly 100, a motorassembly 101, and a clutch 102 connected between the cyclic driveassembly 100 and the motor 101. The cyclic drive assembly 100 isprimarily a series of cams concentrically mounted upon a camshaft 117which is rotatably mounted near the central portion of frame 56 by acamshaft bearing support assembly 103 and is suitably journaled at itsother end by a bearing (not shown) support in the left-hand portion ofthe frame 56 (See FIG. 24).

"The motor assembly 101 includes an electric motor 104 which is coupledto a gear reduction unit 105 havinga doubleended rotary output shaft106. A knob 107 is secured to one end of the shaft 106-and is accessiblefrom the outside of the machine to provide means for manually rotatingthe output shaft106 for the purpose of servicing and the like. A toothedoutput shaft sprocket 108 secured to the shaft 106 is linked by a chain109 to a toothed camshaft sprocket 110 of the clutch assembly 102. i

The clutch assembly 102 is a pawl and ratchet-type clutch assembly andis best illustrated by reference to FIGS. 20, 21 and 22. The clutch 102includes a driving portion 112 of which the camshaft sprocket 110 is apart, a driven portion 113 which is locked to the camshaft 117, and aclutch latch 114 which conditions the clutch 102 for engagement anddisengagementbetween the clutch portions 112 and 113. The clutch drivenportion 113 includes clutch flange 115 fixably held by a pin 116 to thecamshaft 117 of the cyclic drive assembly 100. The shaft 117 has a stubend or sleeve bearing portion 118 at its outer end. The clutch drivingportion 112 includes the camshaft sprocket 110 which is rigidly attachedto an inner sleeve-bearing portion 119. The sleeve-bearing portion 119is rotatably received about the stub end 118 of the driven portion 113.The driving portion 112 is retained on the stub end 118 by a screw andwasher 120. A clutch ratchet 121 forms the outer surface of the drivingclutch portion 112. The ratchet 121 rotates together with the innersleeve 119 and has seven squared notches 122 evenly spaced about itscircumference. A clutch pawl 124 is pivotally mounted to the clutchflange 115 of the driven clutch portion 113 by a pawl support 123 and isspring biased toward the ratchet 121 by spring 123a contained in thepawl support 123 (FIG. 22). The clutch pawl 124 is adapted to engage oneof the notches 122 of the clutch ratchet 121 to make a drivingconnection between the two portions 112 and 113 of the clutch 102 asshown in FIG. 22. To maintain the drive assembly 100 in a normal idlingcondition, the clutch is disengaged by maintaining the pawl 124 out ofengagement with the notches 122 as illustrated in FIG. 21. The pawl 124is so held by the clutch latch assembly 114.

Referring again to FIG. 20, the pawl 124is provided with a cam follower125 which projects through a slot 126 in the clutch flange 115 to engagea camming surface 127 presented by a clutch lever 128 of the clutchlatch 114. The clutch lever 128 is pivotally mounted to the frame 56 ofthe machine at point 129 and is biased toward the clutch flange 115 by aspring 130. When the clutch lever 128 is in the clutch unlatch positionagainst the flange 115, the clutch pawl 124 will be disengaged from theratchet 121 on its next passing of the camming surface 127. The pawl 124will be held out of engagement, and the flange 115 will be held againstrotation until the clutch lever 128 is moved to the clutch latchposition away from the flange 115. When the lever 128 is in this latchposition, the pawl 124 drops against ratchet 121 to engage the nextnotch 122 to pass the pawl 124.

A pawl arrester link 131 is pivotally mounted to the clutch lever 128 atpoint 132. The link 131 is biased by a spring 133 toward the camfollower 125 and serves to lock the pawl 124 out of engagement with theratchet 121 when the cam follower 125 ison a step portion 134 of thecamming surface 127. Thus, the cam follower 125 can move to step 134along cam surface 127, but can move from the step 134 only by a pivotingof the lever 128 away from flange 115 when clutch engagement is desired.

The engagement of the clutch 102 is accomplished by the energizing of arotary solenoid 137. The output shaft (not shown) of the solenoid 137 isconnected to an arm 138. When the solenoid 137 is energized, the armrotates to a position against the clutch lever128 deflecting it awayfrom the clutch flange 115 and releasing the cam follower 125, therebyallowing the clutch pawl 124 todrop into one of the notches 122 whichnext passes the pawl as the driving clutch portion 112 rotates. A triplever 140 holds the clutch lever 128 away from the clutch flange untilan appropriate command to stop the machine is given. The trip lever ispivotally mounted to the shaft 141 which is fixed to the frame 56 of themachine. At the free'end of the trip lever 140 is a detent notch 142.The trip lever 140 is biased by spring 143 toward the lever 128. Whenthe solenoid 137 is energized, the lever 128 is pivoted beyond the stepof the detent 142 and the lever 140 pivots to latch the lever 128 awayfrom the clutch flange 115. In stopping the machine a trip solenoid (notshown) having an output shaft 146 linked to the trip lever 140, isenergized causing the trip lever 140 to move away from the lever 128 toI remove the notch 142 from behind the clutch lever 128 and to allow thespring 130 to move the lever 128 toward the clutch flange 115 where thecamming surface 127 is positioned in the path of the cam follower 125.During the next revolution of the clutch flange 115, the cam follower125 is caught by the camming surface l27'and cammed into the notch 134of the clutch lever 128, thereby lifting the pawl 124 out of engagementwith the notch 122 and disengaging the clutch 102. This action stops thecamshaft 117 of the cyclic drive assembly 100 in a specific angularorientation referred to henceforth as the 0 position of the cyclic driveassembly 100.

As mentioned above, the cyclic drive 100 has conditional andunconditional periodic output functions. These output functions are inthe form of either mechanical signals produced generally by cams, orelectrical signals produced by the magnetic actuation of switches.

The general timing of these functions will be described in more detailbelow in connection with FIGS. 41 and 42. The structure for performingthese functions is shown in FIG. 18.

concentrically mounted on the camshaft 117 is a barrel cam assembly 150.The cam assembly 150 includes a feed cam groove 151 for driving the feedfinger assembly 70, a fender reset cam 152 which resets the fender 75,and a portion of electric pulse generating means 155 which drive theelectronic counter and synchronize the conditional functions to theoperation of the cyclic drive 100.

The electric pulse-generating means 155 is better illustrated in FIG.19. This means 155 includes a permanent magnet 156 set into a recess inthe circumference of the cam 150. The

1. A method for printing a plurality of tag parts in the form of N tagshaving M parts each for a total of (M X N) tag parts, in a minimum ofprinting strokes and without the printing of extra tag parts, with aprinthead having two rigidly interconnected sections including a firstsection for printing at a first stage and a second section for printingat a second stage, each tag part being printed first at said first stagethen at said second stage with a total of at least three lines of whichone line printed at one of said stages falls between two lines printedat the other of said stages for a close line spacing, said methodcomprising, in order, the steps of: partially printing a tag part atsaid first stage with said first section of said printhead by a firstprinting stroke; performing (M X N)-1 intermediate operations, each ofsaid intermediate operations comprising the steps of feeding a partiallyprinted tag part from said first stage to said second stage andsimultaneously feeding a blank tag part to said first stage, andthereafter printing tag parts simultaneously with a single printingstroke at both said first stage with said first printhead section topartially print a tag part, and at said second stage with said secondprinthead section to complete a tag part; feeding the partially printedMth tag part of the Nth tag from said first stage to said second stagewhile inhibiting any feeding of blank tag parts to sAid first stage; andprinting said Mth tag part of said Nth tag at said second stage withsaid second section of said printhead with the last printing stroke tocomplete a partially printed tag.
 2. The method according to claim 1further comprising the step of: feeding a blank tag part to said firststage prior to said first printing stroke.
 3. A method according toclaim 1 for printing N tags having M parts each for a total of N X M tagparts, in (M X N)+1 printing strokes, said method comprising the stepsof: generating first signals corresponding one for each one of saidprinting strokes; generating second signals corresponding one for eachNth one of said first signals; counting said second signals, therebycounting the partial printing of the Mth tag parts; generating a thirdsignal corresponding to the Nth one of said second signals, therebysignaling the at least partial printing of said total number of tagsparts; and said inhibiting of any feeding of blank tag parts to saidfirst stage being in response to said third signal.
 4. A methodaccording to claim 3 for printing N separate tags of M attached tagparts each, wherein said blank tags are supplied in the form of acontinuous strip, said method further comprising the steps of: severingfrom said strip each tag part which, during each Mth one of saidprinting steps, is partially printed at said first stage.
 5. A methodaccording to claim 4 further comprising the steps of: enabling saidsevering steps in response to each of said second signals.
 6. A methodaccording to claim 3 further comprising the steps of: generating printsignals; generating feed signals; said print signals and feed signalsbeing synchronized with said first signals; said printing steps beingresponsive to said print signals; and said feeding steps beingresponsive to said feed signals.
 7. A method according to claim 6wherein said print signals and feed signals are mechanical signals.
 8. Amethod according to claim 4 further comprising the steps of: enablingsaid severing step in response to said second signals; generating knifedrive signals synchronized with said first signals; and said severingstep being responsive to the coincidence of the enabling of saidsevering step and any one of said knife drive signals.
 9. A methodaccording to claim 8 further comprising the steps of: generating knifereset signals synchronized with said first signals; and disabling saidsevering step in response to said knife reset signals.
 10. A methodaccording to claim 9 wherein said knife drive signals and said knifereset signals are mechanical signals.
 11. A method according to claim 3wherein each of said partial printing steps includes cyclicallyoperating a printing drive means which is drivingly connected to theprinthead to cyclically move the printhead in imprinting relationship tothe tag parts, and wherein said method further includes the steps of:generating a pulse signal in synchronism with each cycle of operation ofsaid printing drive means; generating a drive-disabling signal insynchronism with the (M X N)+1-th cycle of said drive means; andstopping said printing drive means in response to the coincidence ofsaid drive-disabling signal and any one of said pulse signals.
 12. Amethod according to claim 3 further comprising the steps of: generatingblank-feed signals; said feeding of said blank tags being in response tosaid blank-feed signals; generating an inhibit signal in response to theNth one of said second signals for inhibiting said blank-feed signals,thereby inhibiting any feeding of blank tags to said first stage;generating inhibit reset signals synchronized with said first signals;and resetting said inhibit signals in response to any one of saidinhibit reset signals.
 13. A method according to claim 3: wherein atleast one of said first, second and third signals are electricalsignals.
 14. An apparatus for printing a plurality of tag parts in theform of N tags having M parts each for a total of (M X N) tag parts, ina minimum of printing strokes and without the printing of extra tagparts, with a printhead having two rigidly interconnected sectionsincluding a first section for printing at a first stage and a secondsection for printing at a second stage, each tag part being printedfirst at said first stage then at said second stage with a total of atleast three lines of which one line printed at one of said stages fallsbetween two lines printed at the other of said stages for close linespacing, said apparatus comprising: a supply of blank tag parts; aprinting station including said first and said second printing stages; aguideway extending from said supply through said stages of said printingstation; feeding means positioned adjacent said guideway for feeding tagparts along said guideway from said supply to said first stage and fromsaid first stage to said second stage; means for inhibiting said feedingmeans from feeding blank tag parts from said supply to said first stagewhen said inhibiting means are actuated; and control means connected tosaid printing station, said feeding means, and said inhibiting means foroperating said printing station through (M X N)+1 printing strokes, foroperating said feeding means through a feeding step between each of saidprinting strokes, and for actuating said inhibiting means during thefeeding step which occurs between the (M X N)th and the (M X N)+1thprinting stroke.
 15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein both Nand M are numbers greater than one, and wherein said control meanscomprises: means for generating first signals corresponding to each ofsaid printing steps; a part counter having an input connected to saidfirst signal generating means, and having an output; said part countergenerating at its output second signals corresponding to each Mth one ofsaid first signals; a tag counter having an input connected to theoutput of said part counter, and having an output; said tag countergenerating at its output a third signal corresponding to the Nth one ofsaid second signals; and said inhibiting means being connected to theoutput of said tag counter and being actuated by said third signal. 16.An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein: said supply comprises acontinuous strip of blank tag parts; said control means comprises a tagcounter for generating a signal corresponding to the printing of the Nthtag; said apparatus further comprises a knife positioned adjacent saidguideway and responsive to said signal for severing said Nth tag fromstrip.
 17. An apparatus according to claim 14 for printing N separatetags wherein: said supply comprises a continuous strip of blank tags;said control means includes means for generating a signal correspondingto the printing of each tag; and said apparatus further comprises aknife positioned adjacent said guideway and responsive to said signalfor severing each printed tag from said strip of blank tags.
 18. Anapparatus according to claim 15 for printing N separate tags having Mattached tag parts each, wherein: said supply comprises a continuousstrip of blank tags; and said apparatus further comprises a knifepositioned adjacent said guideway and responsive to said second signalsfor severing each M-part tag from said strip.
 19. An apparatus accordingto claim 14 wherein said feeding means comprises: a pair of feedingmembers spaced one tag part length apart along said guideway, said pairincluding a first member engageable with said supply for said feeding ofblank tags to said first stage, and a second member engageable with atag part at said first stage for said feeding to saId second stage; andwherein said inhibiting means, when actuated, disables said secondfeeding member and thereby inhibits any feeding of blank tag parts tosaid first stage.
 20. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein saidinhibiting means includes: a fender movable from an inactive position toa position against said second feed member to prevent engagement of saidblank tags by said member.
 21. An apparatus according to claim 19wherein said control means comprises: a tag counter for generating asignal corresponding to the printing of the Nth tag; and said inhibitingmeans being actuated by said signal.
 22. An apparatus according to claim14 wherein said control means further comprises: a cyclic driveoperatively connected to said printing station and to said feedingmeans; a motor; a clutch connected between said motor and said cyclicdrive to form a conditional driving engagement therebetween; a tagcounter having an output, said tag counter generating at its output anend-of-run signal corresponding to the printing of the Nth tag; andmeans for disengaging said clutch in response to said signal after the(M X N)+1th printing stroke.
 23. An apparatus according to claim 22wherein: said end-of-run signal is generated by said tag counter inresponse to the (M X N)th printing stroke; and wherein said controlmeans further comprises: delay means connected between the output ofsaid tag counter and said disengaging means to permit an additionalprinting stroke after the occurrence of said end-of-run signal.
 24. Anapparatus according to claim 23 wherein said delay means comprises: aclutch latch for conditioning said clutch to engage and release, saidlatch having alternative latched and unlatched states; clutch releasesignal generating means partially carried by said cyclic drive andpartially carried by said clutch latch, for generating clutch releasesignals corresponding to a predetermined cyclic position of said cyclicdrive, each of said clutch release signals demarking cycles of saidcyclic drive, each cycle including one printing stroke; a count signalgenerator carried at least partially by said cyclic drive for generatingcount signals synchronized to said clutch release signals, saidend-of-run signal timed to the count signal of the (M X N)th cycle; areset signal generator having an output and carried at least partiallyby said cyclic drive for generating signals synchronized to said clutchrelease signals and preceding said count signals in each cycle; saidclutch latch connected to said reset signal generator and responsive tothe coincidence of any one of said reset signals and said end-of-runsignal for setting said latch to said unlatched state; saidclutch-disengaging means being responsive to the coincidence of theunlatched state of said clutch latch and any one of said clutch releasesignals.
 25. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein: saidclutch-disengaging means includes a cam member and a cooperating camfollower member, one of said members carried by said cyclic drive andone of said members carried by said clutch latch; said clutch releasesignal-generating means including said cam and cam follower members,said clutch release signal being defined by the alignment of said camfollower member with a predetermined position of said cam.
 26. Anapparatus according according to claim 24 wherein said count signalgenerator and said reset signal generator are electric pulse generators.27. An apparatus according to claim 26 wherein said control meansfurther comprises an electromagnetic solenoid having a winding connectedto the output of said signal generator, said solenoid having an outputshaft connected to said clutch for setting said latch to said unlatchedstate when said solenoid is energized.
 28. An apparatus according toclaim 24 wherein said control means further comprises: a start signalgenerator having an output; an electromagnetic solenoid having an inputconnected to the output of said start signal generator, said solenoidhaving an output shaft connected to said clutch latch, said solenoidbeing energized by a signal at its input, said solenoid setting saidlatch to said latched state when energized; and said clutch beingengaged in response to the latched state of said clutch latch,
 29. Anapparatus according to claim 14 wherein said control means furthercomprises: a motor; and a cyclic drive having an input drivablyconnected to said motor, said cyclic drive having a plurality ofperiodic outputs, said outputs including: a print output directlyconnected to said printing station to cause the execution of a printingstroke with each cycle of said cyclic drive; and a feed output directlyconnected to said feeding means to cause the feeding of a tag partrelative to said printhead with each cycle of said cyclic drive.
 30. Anapparatus according to claim 29 wherein said print output includes a cammember and a cam follower member, one of said cam and follower memberscarried by said cyclic drive and the other of said cam and followermembers linked to said printing station.
 31. An apparatus according toclaim 30 wherein said other member is linked to said printhead to movesaid printhead through said printing strokes.
 32. An apparatus accordingto claim 29 wherein said feed output includes a cam member and a camfollower member, one of said cam and follower members carried by saidcyclic drive and the other of said cam and follower members linked tosaid feeding means.
 33. An apparatus according to claim 29 wherein saidfeeding means comprises: a pair of feeding members spaced one tag partlength apart along said guideway, said pair including a first feedmember engageable with said supply for said feeding of blank tags tosaid first stage, and a second feed member engageable with a tag part atsaid first stage for said feeding to said second stage; and wherein saidinhibiting means, when actuated, disables said first feed member therebyinhibiting any feeding of blank tag parts to said first stage.
 34. Anapparatus according to claim 33 wherein said inhibiting means includes:a fender movable from an inactive position to a position against saidsecond feed member to prevent said second feed member from engagingblank tags.
 35. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said controlmeans further comprises: a motor; said first signal-generating meanscomprising a cyclic drive having an input drivably connected to saidmotor, said cyclic drive having a periodic output including anelectronic circuit for generating said first signals in the form of anelectric pulse, one of said first signals occurring with each cycle ofsaid cyclic drive at a predetermined cyclic position of said cyclicdrive.
 36. An apparatus according to claim 35 wherein: said third signalis an electrical signal; and said control means further comprises asolenoid having a winding connected to the output of said tag counter,said solenoid having an output shaft linked to said inhibiting means toactuate said inhibiting means when said solenoid is energized by saidthird signal.
 37. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein saidcontrol means further comprises: a motor; a cyclic drive having an inputdrivably connected to said motor, and having a plurality of synchronizedperiodic outputs, said outputs including: said first signal generatingmeans, a knife drive cam, and a knife latch reset output; and aconditional linkage connected between said knife and said knife drivecam, said linkage including a knife latch, said knife latch having alatched condition wherein said knife drive cam is effective to drivesaid knife through said linkage and an unlatched condition wherein saidlinkage is disengaged, said knife latch being set to said latchedcondition in rEsponse to said second signal and to said unlatchedcondition in response to said knife latch reset output.
 38. An apparatusaccording to claim 37 wherein: said knife latch reset output is a cammechanically linked to said knife latch; and said controls furthercomprising a solenoid having a winding connected to the output of saidpart counter whereby said solenoid is engaged by said second signal,said solenoid having an output shaft connected to said knife latch forsetting said knife latch to said latched condition.
 39. An apparatusaccording to claim 14 wherein: said supply is in the form of acontinuous strip of blank tags; said apparatus further comprises a knifepivotally mounted adjacent said guideway and having a mounting shaftparallel to said guideway, said knife movable against said guideway tosever tags from said strip; said guideway includes a transverse cuttingedge and a depressible portion abutting said cutting edge; and saidknife includes an abutting surface engageable with said portion whensaid knife moves against said guideway to depress said portion as saidtags are severed from said strip.
 40. An apparatus according to claim 14wherein said printhead comprises: a center mounting plate; two externalmounting plates, including a first mounting plate and a second mountingplate spaced on opposite sides of said center mounting plate; a firstprinthead section and a second printhead section, each of said sectionsincluding said center mounting plate, a respective one of said externalmounting plates, one of said sections including at least two rows oftype, aligned between two of said rows of the other said sections, eachof said rows of type mounted between, and at opposite ends to, saidcenter mounting plate and the respective one of said external mountingplates; each of said rows including an upper shaft, a lower shaft, and aplurality of type carrying endless bands surrounding both of said upperand lower shafts; a dial shaft telescopically mounted within said uppershaft and projecting through the respective external plate; an indexingwheel mounted to the interior end of said dial shaft and selectivelyengageable with a selected one of said bands in accordance with thetelescopic setting of said dial shaft, for indexing said selected one ofsaid bands to a selected character.
 41. An apparatus according to claim14 wherein said guideway comprises: selective guide means for forming achannel of variable size and position on said guideway, said selectiveguide means comprising: at least one retractable guide plate, includinga first plate, extending longitudinally of said guideway, said platehaving an operative position projecting from the surface of saidguideway and an inoperative position remote from the surface of saidguideway; and a control element for selectively moving said guide platebetween said operative and inoperative positions.